driving

The Play Store is filled with navigation apps, but only one comes pre-installed on most Android devices. Google's resource isn't without its drawbacks, but it's a pretty solid enough option to satisfy many users out of the box. Of course, the service has to be available in your country before it's usable in any sense. For Panama, the time has come for people to give the app some hands-on time and decide for themselves.

One issue preventing a bunch of people from viewing Google Maps as the navigation godsend that many others see it as is its limited availability in certain parts of the globe. Well, Google is working to change that. The company has rolled out support for navigation in the countries of El Salvador, Libya, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Tunisia.

Here are screenshots of the feature enabled in Paraguay, where an Android Police reader has noticed it for the first time.

The Satechi CD slot mount is well worth a buy (oops, I was supposed to save that for the end, wasn't I?). Last week I went hands-on with the Kenu Airframe+, an AC vent mount that I absolutely loved. But some readers pointed us in the direction of CD mounts, a category I hadn't yet considered, and one that gives purpose to a part of my car that I otherwise would be just fine with leaving off entirely.

Earlier this month, when we recapped all the rumor and leak posts we had published leading up to Google I/O, hands-free functionality called Android Eyes-Free (codenamed KITT) was marked as "partially live." For those in need of a refresher, our post outlined in-car functionality that would carry a stripped-down interface, notifications read aloud by Google, and a new hand-waving gesture used to wake the device.

While the hands-free hotword functionality has already debuted, the dedicated in-car interface, void of any visual chrome, has yet to be revealed (or even really hinted at) by Google.

Dash is one in a slowly growing number of Android options that lets you track where your car is, where you've traveled, and how much gas you've burned up. To make things simple, it combines everything into a basic scoring mechanism - though this is only part of the app's appeal. Those of you with older cars can see why your check engine light came on without having to go to a mechanic, and the enthusiasts among you can turn to the app as an extension of your dashboard that provides more information than your vehicle manufacturer deemed necessary.

I love to drive. No, seriously. I'm someone who actually enjoyed commuting to work, back before I landed my first gig putting words on the web. I'll gladly run to the grocery store to knock a few items off our shopping list, then sometimes head back on the same day to pick up something we forgot. If a friend lives less than two hours away, then they're local. Let's hang out this weekend.

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means – yes, Google is updating apps. This week we've got a search update to version 3.4 and it has some good stuff going on. We're still checking it out, but it looks like automatic parking detection is a go. Or stop... whatever.

The Automatic Link is the iPhone of OBD2 adapters. It's typically priced at $99.99, a price up to ten times higher than what competing hardware goes for on Amazon. What the product has that those alternatives don't, primarily, is a dedicated app that came to Android earlier this month. The gadget is currently available on Amazon for $79.99, 20% lower than its usual price.

People willing to experiment with other apps such as Torque or Dash can save themselves a few bucks by using any OBD2 adapter they wish, but others who would prefer a more plug-and-play experience may opt to pick up the Automatic Link.

Most apps, excluding the free ones, cost you money. Few work to save you money. As it turns out, Automatic is that type of app. This little piece of software serves as a driving assistant that's less concerned about where you're going and more focused on how you get there. It keeps track of how you drive, alerting if you're accelerating (or braking) too hard, speeding, or engaging in other shenanigans that come back to bite you at the pump.

The expansive parking lots of your local mall can be a nightmare as you scan the sea of metal and glass to find your car. There are plenty of apps that will set a GPS marker to help you find it, but you have to actually remember to use them. Auto Finder takes care of things for you all on its own, though. Just install the app, and it always knows where you left the car.